Wheel.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' Patented' Mar. 15,1910.

H. MYER.

WHEEL APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 5, 1908.

E. MAYER.

WHEEL.'

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5,1908.

atentad Mal. 15, 1910.

2 sums-SHEET A2.

niarrnn srarns rarfaiar LOUvIS, MSSOURI., SSIGNOR- 0F ONE-HALF 'IOFREERCK MAYER, 0F ST. LOUISV MISSOURI l Waisen.

Application filed November 5, 1968.A Serial No. 461,224.

To all whom -it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY Maven, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful improvement in lllheels, of which the followingis a specifi' cation, reference being had tothe accomi panying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in Wliichl- Figure 1 is a sideelevational View, partly in section, of a Wheel embodying my inventionFig. 2 is a vertical sectional vievrkon the line 2 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3 isan enlarged sectional View on the line 3 3, Figfg and Fig. 4 is a detailview of the lair-ci'lishion and its metallic bushing.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in Wheels, theobject being to construct a Wheel in which a resilient cushioning deviceorfmeinber is arranged away from the outer rim or tread of the wheel',so as 4notto be in. contact with the ground or other surface upon Whichthe Wheel rests.

With this object in view, my invention consists in the novelconstruction, arrangenient,4 and combination of the several partsof myWheel, all as Will hereinafter be described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the`drawings, I have shown my Wheel connected 'to a driving device aswhen the saine is used as a shaft-driven driving- Wheel, but'should theWheel be used as, for

instance, a front Wheel of a vehicle or Wagon, no driving means need, ofcourse, be

connected thereto.

In said drawings, l indicates a tubular casing or axle,l on which thevehicleis adapted to be suitably mounted, as by the usual springs, notshown. The outer end portion of axle l is preferably lsquared onopposite fsides, as at 2, and sleeved on this squared portion is ametallic bushing 3Wliich may be keyed or otherwise fastened to axle l toprevent its moving endwise thereof, and which bushing 3 is surroundedlpreferably by a resilient air-tube, cylinder, or cushion 4.

, Surrounding the preferably annular aircushion 4; is a metallic ring 5,Whose interior.

diameter is substantially the saine as the outer diameter of theair-cushion d, so as to preferably bear `or rest ,thereagainst Pref-'erably this ring 5` is made integral with a circular plate or disk 6,which is slotted, as

at' 7, so as tol slidingly fit over the squared end portion 2 of axle l,for purposes here inafter appearing. rhis plate serves as a cover-platefor one side of the air-cushion 4, and a similar plate 8 is detachablysecured, to the opposite side of ring by throughfbolt's 9, plate 8beingalso provided with a slotlO similar to the slot 7 in plate 6.

The construction just described -constitutes a resilient hub portion ormember for the outer rotatable part of the wheel, Which hub portion isprevented from rotating on axle 1,`b ut is permitted vertical movementthereon to take up any jars, shocks, and so onto which the Wheel may besubjected'.

rllie plates 6 and 8 extend outwardly from the ring 5, sov as to provideannular retaining flanges. 11 for the rotatablel portion of theWheel."57` The rotatable portion of the Wheel comprises an anulargrooved or channeled memberlQ, in which is adapted to be mounted aseries Aof segmental iiller blocks 13, from which the spokes-14 radiate,said blocks 13 beingl held in yposition in said member 12 by rivets orbolts Q15. On the outer ends of spokes 14 are .segmental rim ii-embers16, and surrounding and secured on these preferably wooden rim members16 is a metallic channel-shaped felly '17, in which is arranged anordinary solid rubber or cushion tire 1S. Interposed between thechanneled devices 19, upon Which'said member l2 is adapted to rest androtate.

specification @freiem-512mm. Praemien/C, imi5? 3191.9

20 indicates a driving sli-.ift rotatably mounted in axle l and Whichmay be connected to the motor in any desirable manner,

as, for instance, .by an ordinary differential gear, shaft, or chain.The outer end of the driving shaft 20 is preferably reduced, as at 21,and has sleeved thereon a grooved bearing-ring 22, between which and abearingring 2301i the axle 1 is placed a series of anti-friction rollersor other suitable antifriction devices 24, so that said shaft may rotatekfreely and Without -friction in said axle l. The end `of shaft 20outside the rey"duced portion 2l is preferably squared, as at- 25, orotherwise suitably made to receive a driving-member or arm 26,-Which maybe keyed or otherwise suitably secured thereon, as by a suitable nut 2Tthreadedon threaded end 28 of said shaft 20. The outer end ol' 'saiddriving-ine1nber or arm 26 is pivotally connected, as at 29, t a link30, the oppositeI end of said link being pivotally connected,

Lio

as at 31, to the channeled member l2 of the rotatable portion of theWheel. The shaft 2O being driven in the direction of the arrow shown' inFig. l will impart a rotary move# ment to the arm 26, and through theconnecting link 30, the rotatable portion of the wheel will be rotatedon the anti-friction rollers lt) in the same direction as shaft 20, thelink 30, when the vehicle is being driven, exerting a constant pull uponsaid outer rotatable portion of the wheel. And, owing to the pivotalconnection 2t), the wheel ispermitted to freely move vertically in theslots 7 and 1.0.against the resiliency of the aircushion t, saidair-cushion thus taking up any shocks or jars to which the wheel may Vbesubjected in passing over rough roads or other surface. I thus provide asort of universal compensating connection 4between the driving shaft Q0and the rotatable or driven portion of the wheel which I have foundperfectly operable Iand answers every requirement.

In some instances it may be desired to drive the rotatable portion ofthe wheel by a sprocketchain suitably connected to the motor or otherdriVing-niedium ofthe vehicle, instead of having the same shaft-driven,as before described. In such cases I mount a slvn'ocket-wheel 32 on thechanneled inein- 'ber l2, as shown in dotted linesin Figs. l

and 2 which' may be bolted or otherwise scoured to said member l2, asdesired `which sprocket-wheel 32 may be connected by a sprocket-chain toa jack or other driving shaft, as is well understood.

lVhile/the bushing 3 will prevent any lateral movement of the wheel onthe axle l, as a further means for preventing such move ment I providethe collar 33 for the inner side of said wheel, which collar ispreferably made integral with axle l, and for the other side of saidwheel detachably threador otherwise secure on the outer end of axle l acollar' o; nut; 34. I

'Ihe parts 0f my Wheel are easily assembled, and when assembled arefirmly held in proper operative position by the bolts t) passing throughring 5 and lirmly (1onnecting and holding plates G and 8 together. Theouter or' rotatable portion of my Wheel rotates freely and with little,if any, friction on the anti-friction rollers It), and in the case of ashaft-driven wheel, the drivingsliaft Q0 rotates freely and with verylittle, if any, friction, through the anti-friction rollers 24, in the.supporting axle l. The said slots7andl0in said plates C` and 8 permitthe wheel to move vertically, and, as before stated, any shocks or jarsto which the wheel may be subjected are taken up by the the air-cusliion4, the same also taking up side-thrusts` and-thereby further lesseningthe wear and tear en the vehicle.

,In my eoi'istruction I do away with pneumatie tires on the outer rim ofthe Wheel,

Where they may be Very easily, and are very frequently punctured; in myWheel,

there is very little, if any, Wear on the air cushion t and there` is noliability ofv the same being puncturedf which is no w a4 tion,arrangement, and combination of theA several parts of my Wheel might bemade and substituted -for those herein shown and described Withoutdeparting from the nature and spirit of my invention.

' Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim and desire t0 secure byLetters Patent is: p

l. In a Wheel, the combination with an axle. having a non-circular end,of a resilient air-cushion arranged and supported onsaid axle, a casingarranged on said axle and closely encircling said air-cushion, saidcasing resting` on and being supported by said air-cushiori andcomprising duplicate circular tlat side plates t3 and 8 on' each side ofsaid aircushion, a bearing-ring 5 inte; gral with one of saidside-plates, and bolts 9 passing laterally through said rin'r and sidesplates to firmly secure said parts together, said side-plates beingprovided with co-incident vertically-disposed slots adapted to [it onand engage said non-circular end of said axle, whereby said. casing isprevented. from rotating on said axle, but is permitted to movevertically with respectthereto, an integral outwardly-extcndiug annular[lange on each of said side-plates, a separate treadnieinber looselysupported and rotatably mounted between said flanges, and antifrictiondevices loosely interposed between said bearing-ring and tread-membergsubstantially as (.lescribed.

2. l'n a wheel, the combination,with an axle having a non-circular end,ol a resilient air-tube ll--arrangial and supported on said axle,-acasing arranged on said axle and closely encircling said air-tube, saideasing resting on and being supported by said airtiibe and comprising`duplicate cii'eitlardlat side-plates (il and S on each side of saidair-4 tube, :i bearingring 5 integral willi one of said side-plates, andboltsI t) passing laterally through said ring and side-plates to lrmlysecure said parts together, saidside-plates.

being provided with co-iucident verticallydisposed slots 7 and t0adaptedto lit on and ltltl ionl lll)

engage said noncircular end of said axle, whereby said casing,r isprevented from rotating on said axle, but is permitted to movevertically" with respect thereto,- an integral outwardly-extendingannular ange on each of said side-plates, a separate tread-memberloosely supported and rotatably mounted between said flnges,antifriction devices loosely interposed between said bearing-ring andtread-member, and a bushing 3 arranged on said axle and withinsaidlcasing,

whereby said casing and air-tube are pre ventedmoving laterally on saidaxle; subv stantially as described.

In testimbny whereof, I have signed my 15 name to this specification, inthe presence ,of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY MAYER.

Witnesses:

JOHN BoYLE, EDGAR W. JACOBS.

